Craig822

Garry finishes his 22 years in Army in July but has to serve until October to get pension at increased rank (he needs two years in rank to get higher pension).


Hi Cheryl

Hope Garry is keeping his head down in sunny Basrah Were you both aware that you don't have to actually do 2 years? If you do 1 year you then get the difference between his old and new ranks, each month thereafter is pro rata and finally getting the new rank pension, as you say, after 2 years.

Probably wont make a difference but I'm a little bored at the moment and I know a lot a people aren't aware of that.

All the best

Craig

stevensfamily

Lisa,
My brother lives in Bradenstoke which backs onto Lyneham. I will be over there next weekend for my nieces 2 birthday. Graham and Ali Jones, dont suppose you know them as the children are younger than yours although I know Ali has quite a few friends on the base. They are civi's, not in RAF although go to the open day and get involved as much as possible.

Garry is back from Iraq hopefully mid August still waiting for confirmation.

Have you been to Oz for a reccie already, are your children excited, as they are older its a bit different for you. My two have never really lived in UK so have never been close to family so for them their Nana and Granddad can still visit like they do at the moment. We have moved so much that I do not think Oz will be a big step for my two.

Maybe our paths will cross in the local curry house or pub one day!!!

Cheryl

stevensfamily

Hi Craig,

Glad to here from you. I have not heard from Garry much he is managing to keep himself busy, I think he was up your way the other day doing an inspection, a quick in and out visit. He has squashed loads of inspections into short space of time so it makes time pass quickly and could mean he comes home earlier (I hope).

Thanks for the info. We will do Garry's full two years as it allows Kate to finish Junior school. She will start her final year in September and then hopefully if all pans out we will start her in secondary in Jan/Feb 08 in Oz, well thats the sketchy plan so far.

We have entered the lull before the next storm now and I have done nothing for three weeks now in respect of the Visa application. Next step police checks I suppose and better get Aunt geared up for Assurance of Support. What are your plans now that you have promotion, still planing to leave?, any signs of a great posting (maybe back to Naples!)

Glad to here your well even if a little bored,

Cheryl

Craig822

Hi Cheryl

I'm at Camp Slayer in Baghdad (as Chief Clerk) so if Garry comes up this way again tell him to look me up!

Don't forget you'll need police checks for ALL countries you've lived in for 12 months or more and you'll need translations. The German one was pretty quick - usual German efficiency! but the Italian ones we had to get took a while - usual Italian inefficiency

We still don't know about our move for sure, I'll hear if I've got redundancy or not on 2nd Oct. I was offered 3 promotion slots (all in the UK) 10 days before I left for Baghdad and they all started in August AND they'd get me back from here after 6 weeks instead of 4 months. Only snag was I had to withdraw my app for redundancy which is worth 44k. Needless to say here I am until 16 Oct!! but the saving grace is they'll come back with another promotion offer if I don't get redundancy.

Its a bit complicated but it'll have to be a damned good offer (overseas) for us to delay going to Perth for 2 years. To be honest we aren't going until Oct 07 at least as our tenants have a lease agreement until then whilst they build their house, which has already slipped by 6 months. So I could do the year and split the difference if need be. But we don't want to move our daughter (6) from one school and then move to Perth a year later - thats the whole reason for leaving the military in the first place!

As you can see - we are still not in control of our destiny! Hopefully all will be a lot clearer come the end of my time in Iraq.

Ciao for now

Craig